China is ordering local officials to stop using threatening slogans to enforce its strict “one-child” policy, state media reported.
The government wants to ban slogans like: “Kill all your family members if you don’t follow the rule” and “We would rather scrape your womb than allow you to have a second child,” the Shanghai Daily said at the weekend.
China, the world’s most populous country with more than 1.3 billion people, introduced the “one-child” policy in 1979.
Despite calls for relaxation, Chinese officials say the policy is still needed, claiming overpopulation threatens the country’s development.
However, the National Population and Family Planning Commission aims to prevent zealous local authorities from offending the public or worsening social tensions with “nasty” slogans, the newspaper said.
Several referred to forced sterilization, with one slogan reading: “If you don’t have your tubes tied, your house will be demolished.”
“Once you are captured, your tubes will be tied. Should you escape, we’ll hunt you down. If you attempt suicide, we’ll offer you either the rope or a bottle of poison,” another read.
The newspaper gave no indication of where the slogans were used.
China, under a 1980 policy designed to control its population, permits most couples to have only one child, an approach critics charge is backed by forced sterilizations and abortions.
Some experts say the “one-child” policy has turned into a demographic time bomb as the population ages, storing up huge economic and social problems for the country, as well as fostering a gender imbalance.
Given the traditional preference for sons, sex-specific abortions occur and female infanticide and the abandoning of baby girls have also been reported.
New slogans which have received the government’s nod of approval include: “Caring for a girl means caring for the future of the nation,” the newspaper said, in an effort to encourage families to raise daughters.
Conflict with Taiwan could leave China with “massive economic disruption, catastrophic military losses, significant social unrest, and devastating sanctions,” a US think tank said in a report released on Monday. The German Marshall Fund released a report titled If China Attacks Taiwan: The Consequences for China of “Minor Conflict” and “Major War” Scenarios. The report details the “massive” economic, military, social and international costs to China in the event of a minor conflict or major war with Taiwan, estimating that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could sustain losses of more than half of its active-duty ground forces, including 100,000 troops. Understanding Chinese
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela, and would continue to cooperate with democratic allies and work together for regional and global security, stability, and prosperity. The remarks came after the US on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was later flown to New York along with his wife. The pair face US charges related to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied the allegations. The ministry said that it is closely monitoring the political and economic situation
UNRELENTING: China attempted cyberattacks on Taiwan’s critical infrastructure 2.63 million times per day last year, up from 1.23 million in 2023, the NSB said China’s cyberarmy has long engaged in cyberattacks against Taiwan’s critical infrastructure, employing diverse and evolving tactics, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday, adding that cyberattacks on critical energy infrastructure last year increased 10-fold compared with the previous year. The NSB yesterday released a report titled Analysis on China’s Cyber Threats to Taiwan’s Critical Infrastructure in 2025, outlining the number of cyberattacks, major tactics and hacker groups. Taiwan’s national intelligence community identified a large number of cybersecurity incidents last year, the bureau said in a statement. China’s cyberarmy last year launched an average of 2.63 million intrusion attempts per day targeting Taiwan’s critical
‘SLICING METHOD’: In the event of a blockade, the China Coast Guard would intercept Taiwanese ships while its navy would seek to deter foreign intervention China’s military drills around Taiwan this week signaled potential strategies to cut the nation off from energy supplies and foreign military assistance, a US think tank report said. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted what it called “Justice Mission 2025” exercises from Monday to Tuesday in five maritime zones and airspace around Taiwan, calling them a warning to “Taiwanese independence” forces. In a report released on Wednesday, the Institute for the Study of War said the exercises effectively simulated blocking shipping routes to major port cities, including Kaohsiung, Keelung and Hualien. Taiwan would be highly vulnerable under such a blockade, because it
RSS